I still use my view camera, but it is getting to be more and more of a burden to carry around. Also, there is no denying the inconvenience factor. The set-up, the shooting rigamarole, the film handling, and so on. Of course there is a certain zen factor in all of this which cannot be denied and which I enjoy. I’ve been using a Hasselblad Flexbody and a digital back to allow me to use movements without film which was fine. But I did miss front tilts and swings which the Flexbody doesn’t have. It only has back tilts and rise and fall which works but …
Last year Cambo introduced a new camera, the Actus. Interestingly, it can use different digital cameras as a digital back and can use all sorts of ‘legacy’ lenses. Using medium format lenses gives a large enough image circle to cover the digital sensor when using tilts or other movements. Otherwise the image wouldn’t cover all of the sensor. Well, I have collected a good assortment of Hasselblad lenses over the years so the Cambo Actus really caught my attention. It is small, light, has all the movements I really want and I can use my existing medium format lenses.
So, after a flurry of Ebaying, it was goodbye Flexbody (with a tinge of regret) and hello used Sony A7R. The Sony is a small mirrorless full frame 36 megapixel camera which will act as the digital back in my Hasselblad/Actus/Sony frankenkamera. After selling some other photography items, I then ordered the Actus.
Well! The Actus is everything I hoped it to be. Using peak focusing on the Sony (I’m using my loupe on its LCD monitor) and back button focus enlarging, it is quite easy to put the depth of field where I want using tilts and swings and with everything in sharp focus. The Hasselblad lenses play nice with the Sony sensor and the geared movements are precise, except for the front swing which is a tiny bit sloppy. So I’m having big fun learning how to use this high tech/old school frankenstein camera.
Oh, and the New55 film project, after many manufacturing struggles, has just sent me the box of instant 4x5 sheet film which I ordered two years ago. I can't wait to try it out. View cameras are Back!